October 28

The morning temperature is in the mid 40’s, sun is shining and the wind is blustery as I make my way into the Maple River State Game Area, two miles northeast of the village of Maple Rapids. Almost 10,000 acres, this state land surrounds the Maple River as it flows through Gratiot, Clinton and Ionia Counties, including the expansive wetlands wildlife refuge transected by US 127. I’m hiking due south on a 50-ft wide easement covering a pipeline that’s pumping oil from Alma south under the Maple River to Lansing and beyond (red line on map). Out of sight and out of mind to most of the public, the pipeline under my feet brings back memories of the oil spill that occurred in 2010 when a pipeline like this burst and flowed into Talmadge Creek, a tributary of the Kalamazoo River resulting in one of the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history (stock photo), upending the lives of those living near the river and devastating the ecosystem. Glancing skyward, I pause to watch the wind rustle the leaves of thinning birch trees. Along the edge of the easement, I spot the bright red hips of Multiflora Rose and a Mullein rosette. Mullein is known for the softness of its leaves, which are known locally as "bunny ears" or "flannel leaf." The leaves' softness is created by a dense pattern of short hairs that cover both the upper and lower surfaces. Approaching the main channel of the Maple River, I come up short, as the flats are flooded due to above average fall rainfall. This river is a 75 mile-long tributary of the Grand River (stock photo) that originates from the Maple Swamp drain southeast of Owosso. Unlike the Chippewa and Pine Rivers that flow eastward, this river flows west. After passing the village of Ovid it flows northwest past Elsie and then turns southwest into the State Game Area, past Maple Rapids before emptying into the Grand River at the village of Muir, 12 miles north of Portland. Exploring the edge of one section of the flats, I notice the leaf litter consists mostly of Silver maple and hickory while another section, a variety of oaks and yet another section, beech and maple with a few tiny lavender flowers of Heal-All sprinkled in. Turning west, I follow a groomed muddy trail used by lots of deer. Turning around, I retrace my steps back toward the car where I see a couple of dipterans warming themselves on a log, including a Green Bottle fly and a Housefly. Finally, I’m back in the car for my 22-mile trip back to Alma.

Leaves of fall or flowers of spring

Bird’s feather or butterfly’s wing

Skin of a snake or hide of a deer

Snow that’s fresh or sky that’s clear

Grass in a field or soil on the ground

Seeds that fly or fruit that’s round

Lichens on trunks or needles of pine

Dark clouds or bright sunshine

Mother Nature’s shades and hues

Favorite colors, hard to choose

D. DeGraaf

October 21

I’m following the White Pine trail into a remote section of the Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area, 15 miles southeast of Ithaca. The mid-morning weather is mostly cloudy, misty and breezy as I make my way south through a dense forest of broadleaves with a few conifers mixed in. The leaf litter reveals the presence of maple, oak, aspen and pine. Nearby, I pick a 1-inch Spiny Puffball mushroom, take a bite and enjoy the mild “mushroomy” flavor. Just ahead, I pick a waxy green leaf of Wintergreen, crush it between my fingers and inhale the pleasant aroma. Stepping briefly off the trail, I pause at a vernal pond to admire Mother Nature’s beautiful autumn artwork. Back on the trail. I spot some sulfur shelf fungi as well as a patch of fresh Haircap moss. Entering a clearing as the trail forks, I veer easterly where, on the leaf litter, a mixed patch of Club and Pincushion moss catch my eye. Soon, I come upon a small creek where I take time to look and listen to this scenic fall landscape. Nearby fungi include Birch Polypore and Oyster mushrooms. Continuing southeast, I come to the edge of a 20-acre lake lined with colorful deciduous trees and almost totally covered with green vegetation. Closer examination indicates its Floating Pondweed. While exploring the shoreline, I come upon a cattail flower seeding out and lots of spiny seedpods of Buttonbush. Turning around, I retrace my steps past the creek where I notice maple leaves falling onto the colorful path. Along the trail’s edge, I see leaves of Sassafras and Witch Hazel changing color. Approaching the car, I come upon a partially eaten mushroom. Not knowing what was feeding on it, my guess it either was a deer, squirrel or rabbit. While these creatures know better than to eat toxic mushrooms, not so for Box turtles. They’ve been known to safely eat deadly species of Amanita (stock photo), which has killed people eating the turtles. Finally, I find the car and head for home.

Autumn onward
Forest rids her green
Reds and yellows show
Wafting leaves are seen
Barren is the meadow
Frost ices the ground
Swallows head south
Wooly bears around
Plants cease to grow
Mother Nature’s way
Comes the colder night
Comes the shorter day 

D. DeGraaf

October 14

The midmorning is sunny and cool as I hike west on the Meijer bike trail into the heart of the Vestaburg State Game Area, 3000 acres of some of the most undisturbed natural landscapes in mid Michigan. Right away, I spot an abandoned paper wasp nest overhead in a pine tree. Signs of the season are everywhere. Cessation of chlorophyll production in leaves of some maples, oaks and birch is evident as red, orange and yellow pigments begin to appear. Fronds of Royal fern are turning brown. Next, I pause to observe a few leaves wafting from a towering Cottonwood tree to the path near my feet. Continuing west, I notice most of the blossoms of Queen Anne’s Lace have seeded out and folded up into “nests”. I open one of them to discover a tiny Pickleworm maggot. Mostly found in the southern US, these crop-destroying larvae will turn into a colorful moth (stock photo). Just ahead, I get a close-up view of a ½ inch Spotted Cucumber Beetle resting on a Sow Thistle blossom. Like the Pickleworm, these insects are considered agricultural pests. As often happens, the Milkweeds I come across are sources of biological activity. Some plants display pods bursting open to expose their silky white seed floss. Others display Milkweed Bugs in various stages of development. Still others, display Yellow Bear caterpillars (a relative of Wooly Bears). Still heading west, I recognize a couple of invasive species; a patch of Phragmites stalks swaying in the breeze and a few blossoms of Spotted Knapweed. After walking about a mile, I turn around to retrace my steps when my attention is drawn to a chipmunk calling from the dense forest. Just ahead, I see a 1-inch Spring Peeper sunning itself on a Tag Alder leaf. Seldom seen but often heard, the “peeping sound of these amphibians is a welcome sign of spring. Finally, just before reaching the car, I discover some Japanese Beetles  devouring a leaf. Back in the car, I begin my re-entry into the comforts and distractions of human civilization.

Autumn in stride

Heron still wades

Colder winds blow

Goldenrod fades

Whining Cicadas

Brown Wooly Bear

Turtles go deep

Logs are now bare

Swallows gather

South they’ll go

Cattails explode

October show

D. DeGraaf

October 7

The midday weather is cool and misty with a light breeze as I begin my hike in Alma’s Conservation Park. Heading west along the shore of the Pine River impoundment, I can barely see a few Mallard ducks far out in the slow moving current. Continuing west, I spot a few blossoms of Blue-stemmed Goldenrod, a 5-inch diameter Amanita mushroom and some Coral fungi. The leaf litter displays signs of the season including some spiny caps of Bur Oak acorns from which the tree gets its name. After taking one last look at the river, I turn south and then east on pavement through a lush green corridor of mature hardwoods and conifers. Pausing near the Eyer Bird Hut, I notice a bristly Tussock Moth caterpillar crawling on a milkweed leaf. Nearby, I spot the blue berries of Virginia creeper which are not edible and those of Wild Grape which look alike and are edible. Turning south, I proceed into a native grassland landscape where a few Purple Coneflowers remain while Bergamot blossoms are gone and only seed heads remain. Along the way, I find Pokeweed whose berries are edible to birds but not humans. Before leaving this prairie plot, I pause to watch the breeze sway the tall warm season grasses. After passing one of the many ponds on the southern border of the park, I turn north and pause near the girl scout cabin where I observe a Bubble Bee nestled in one of the few remaining blossoms of Queen Anne’s Lace as well as a ½ inch Black Ichneumon Wasp resting on a seed head of grass. These tiny insects are endoparasitic. Adult females use their sharp ovipositors to insert eggs into a living host –usually a grub or caterpillar. Their eggs hatch and larvae devour the host from the inside, eventually killing it before emerging. Many of these wasps prey upon hosts that also happen to be crop pests, and likely provide an invaluable service to agriculture. Making my way back toward the car, I pause to watch Bubble Bees feeding on New England aster flowers while a Hoverfly feeds on White aster flowers. Finally, while getting in the car, my attention is drawn to one more sign of the season; the bright red fruit of Viburnum.

Aura of autumn

Before snows come

From sunny glades

Colors and shades

Of scarlet and gold

Trees, young and old

Where frost of fall 

Glazes it all

In crystalline white

During longer night

Nature’s aglow

October show

D. DeGraaf